Poll: Which player can the Dolphins least afford to lose to injury in 2010?

The Dolphins, on paper, look poised to make the playoffs in 2010 and have as good a shot as any team to make a Super Bowl run.

Entering Year 3 under Bill Parcells, Jeff Ireland and Tony Sparano, they have their young, franchise quarterback in place in Chad Henne, one of the best receivers in the world in Brandon Marshall, two Pro Bowl running backs in Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams, two anchors in Jake Long and Vernon Carey, an athletic freak at middle linebacker in Karlos Dansby and one of the top young cornerback duos in the game in Vontae Davis and Sean Smith.

But stuff happens throughout the course of a season – injuries, suspensions, ineffective play. The 2010 Dolphins in December could look entirely different from the team that starts the season in September. One untimely injury could derail the entire season.

Hall of Fame receiver Michael Irvin, who now hosts a midday radio show on WQAM 560-AM, asked Dolphins linebacker Channing Crowder Monday afternoon who he thinks is the one player the team absolutely can’t afford to lose this season. I expected Crowder to say Henne, the talented first-time starting quarterback whose ability to handle the pressures of his job will certainly have a major impact on the Dolphins’ season. But Crowder threw a bit of a curveball. His answer:

“We need Brandon Marshall to stay healthy,” Crowder said. “Everyone’s talking about the passing game now, but now you have to pull some of those safeties out of the box, now you have to address that receiver position. So now you have two studs, two Pro Bowl running backs back there coming in fresh every other play. Now having that receiver, now being able to open that box and having Ronnie and Ricky coming down hill, it’s tough.”

“We addressed the receiver situation with the best receiver, in my mind, so if he were to go down, God willing he doesn’t, it would be back where it was.”

And Crowder makes some good points. Where the receiver position was, as Crowder puts it, was not a good place. Since Dan Marino retired after the 1999 season, the Dolphins have had exactly one 1,000-yard receiver – Chris Chambers in 2005 (1,118 yards). Otherwise, Dolphins receivers have underperformed and underwhelmed – Ted Ginn, Chambers, Marty Booker, Derek Hagan and others.

Marshall, 26, brings three straight 100-catch, 1,100-plus yard seasons to Miami, and could have a waterfall effect on the rest of the offense – Davone Bess, Brian Hartline and Greg Camarillo could thrive because of more single-teams; Brown and Williams could have more space to run; Henne could put up Pro Bowl-type passing stats.

But there is no right answer to this question. Henne, certainly, needs to stay healthy, because Tyler Thigpen, an injured Chad Pennington or Pat White probably won’t be taking this team to the playoffs. If Brown or Williams go down, it kills the thunder-and-lightning, fresh-legs aspects of the Dolphins’ running game. If Long goes down, opposing pass-rushers could tee off on Henne. If Yeremiah Bell goes down, the Dolphins could have two young fifth-round picks starting at safety. If Randy Starks goes down, the Dolphins will have no one to plug the middle of the defensive line. If Cam Wake goes down, the Dolphins may not have anyone to rush the passer. If Patrick Cobbs goes down, who will do all the dirty work?

So what say you, fans? Who is the one player the Dolphins simply cannot afford to lose this season?